Back when the original iPhone was released, Verizon wasn't interested in it thanks to Apple's strict demands concerning the device.  It's expected that the long-awaited Verizon iPhone will finally arrive early next year, though, and one analyst believes that Verizon has done a complete 180 and is now so interested in the iPhone, it wants to keep Apple's handset off of competing carriers.  Shaw Wu, analyst with Kaufman Bros., has told investors that according to his sources, Verizon is willing to pay Apple to keep the iPhone exclusive to itself and AT&T, locking T-Mobile and Sprint out.

We've heard rumors of the iPhone heading to Sprint and T-Mobile in the past, but there hasn't really ever been anything as substantial as the Verizon iPhone rumors.  It appears that Verizon thinks that a Sprint or T-Mo iPhone is a possibility, though, and it doesn't want customers considering jumping ship to one of its competitors for a similar device with (possibly) cheaper plans.  It's worth noting that we've seen analysts get predictions wrong before, though, so don't take this news as evidence that a Sprint/T-Mobile/Verizon iPhone is in the works or anything like that.  It would certainly be interesting to see the iPhone land on a carrier other than VZW or AT&T, but I'm not holding my breath just yet.

Via SlashGear, AppleInsider